Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-09-01
yarroting of Lopez himself at Havana.

garroting of Lopez himself at Havana.
was there that day, and-well, since
you seem interested, may say that I
looked on and saw that. iuustrious pa
triot's neck broken. But why should
yos, of all persons, want to hear about
these unpleasant things?"
A sudden faintness seized her upon
hearing his reply. She turned her face
aside to conceal her emotion; but he
saw the white hand with an engage
ment-ring on the finger tremble as it
lay in her lap.
II suppose I could tell you more"
he said.
She turned her face again to him: it
was composed, though very pale. Her
voice was firm.
Tell me all that you know about
it."
"Surely, for so remarkable request
you should be willing to tell your
reasons.
Still hoping to conciliate her, he saw
at once that he had gone too far in ask
ing this. A tinge of red colored her
cheek, and her voice showed sup
pressed anger.
''You are neither kind nor consider
ate, sir! When I rejected your offer
six weeks ago, told you, in answer to
your urging, that was engaged, and
that the man had promised to marry
was in New Orleans. You might
guess, should think, that my reasons
for the request have made are con-
nected with him. The last letter re-
ceived from him told me that he had
joined Lopez, and was about embark
ing for the coast of Cuba. You had no
right to have me tell you this. but you
have compelled it. Now will you tell
what you know?'
This man pretended to love this girl:
perhaps he did love her as we'll as he
was capable of loving anything. He
was scheming at that instant as to how
he could overcome her aversion to him.
self; yet he sat there cool and unsym-
pathetic. though he well knew that she
was suffering keenly in her apprehen-
sion and anxiety.
Perhaps you'll tell me his name,'
he suggested.
at is Henry Crawford. Now, sir,
have you mortified and tormented me
enough?"
81 crave your pardon, Miss Willis.
I thought it possible that I might have
heard the name mentioned among
those of the fflibusters.''
''Did you hear it mentioned?"
81 can't say that l did. Many names
of these fellows were repeated to me;
but / can't be sure that this one was
among them. Yet, you may be tolerabIy
certain that your engagement to Mr..
Crawford has been terminated by
causes beyond his control, or yours.
The demons sneer contained in the
words was lost upon her; it was the
torture of the suspense she was suffer
ing that broke down her restraint, and
made her appeal to him with a pitiful
cry.
'.Man, if you have spark of feeling
for suffering woman, speak out! Tell
me what you know"
81 will know that the leader suf-
fered death by the garrote. 1 know
that Colonel Crittenden and ffty-two
of the party were shot just outside the
walls at Havana. And 1 know that all
the rest of them that haven't suffered |
violent deaths in some shape, are in
Cuban prisons, and viii spend the bal
auce of their lives working on forti-
fications there or in Spain, each with |
a ball and chain to his leg. So that
if you have any lurking fondness for
this vagrant who you say goes by the
name of Crawford, you'd do well to
hope that the Spaniards have finished
him already. It's by far the more mer
ciful fate of the two."
The strain that had wrought up her
feelings to the point where the weak
faint and the strong in heart suffer al
most a lifetime of agony i'll minute,
was gone. She knew the worst; or
rather, she knew all that she could
know now. When could she know